Sheba, Queen of

Both Jewish and African traditions include stories about the Queen of
Sheba. The ruler of a wealthy nation in southern Arabia, the queen had
heard tales about the great wisdom of Solomon, king of the Hebrews.
Curious, she decided to go to Jerusalem to meet him.

According to the book of Kings in the Bible, the queen arrived in
Jerusalem and asked King Solomon a series of difficult questions. He
responded wisely to each one. The queen presented Solomon with many gifts
and returned to her home.

In an African version of the story, the Queen of Sheba is an Ethiopian
ruler named Makeda. She traveled to Jerusalem to visit Solomon. She was so
impressed by his wisdom that she gave up her religion and adopted Judaism.
After six months, Makeda told Solomon she wanted to return home. The king
gave her a ring to remember him. He also told her that if she became
pregnant and had a male child, her child would become king of Ethiopia.

Nine months later, Makeda bore a son whom she named Menelik. When Menelik
was a young man, she sent him to Jerusalem to visit his father. Solomon
recognized the young man as his son because of the resemblance between
them. Solomon embraced and blessed Menelik, who became the king of
Ethiopia and the legendary ancestor of later Ethiopian kings.